New outrage as vandals damage nurses’ cars
Nurses at a West Lothian hospital believe their cars are being targeted by vandals.
Restrictions were put in place at the end of 2018 which saw parking permits reduced at St John’s Hospital in Livingston and staff say they have since been forced into parking off-site.
The staff have been told to park at the Toni Macaroni Arena or Ladywell Park and Ride but this leaves them with a long walk to work and some of them have been parking in residential areas closer to the hospital.
This has led to a spate of vandalism on their vehicles which the Courier first reported on in June of last year. This week another five nurses said their cars had been scratched with keys or a similar instrument.
Speaking anonymously to the Courier, one employee said: “I returned after work to find my car had been keyed. There were another few nurses who had their cars targeted in the next few days.
“We are getting put in a really vulnerable position leaving here at night.
“You would think the hospital have a duty of care to the staff. I just don’t understand why we can’t park at our own work. The bosses are aware of the issue but nothing gets done. An email is sent out to staff asking us to park elsewhere but they take no responsibility for the damage to our cars.”
The anonymous employee told the Courier that they requested rape alarms for walking to their cars at night but had been refused.
She said staff are allowed to park at the hospital if they have a permit but meeting the criteria is tough and anyone who can travel to work by public transport is apparently refused.
MSP Neil Findlay said: “These attacks on the cars of NHS staff are appalling. I understand people are
Police are warning people not to park illegally in Bathgate town centre.
Officers handed out 10 parking tickets in the town on Tuesday to drivers who had parked near the Steelyard and elsewhere.
The 10 fixed penalty notices were issued to vehicles parked illegally and dangerously and carried a £30 fine.
Speaking on Facebook frustrated at the parking chaos around about the hospital but criminal attacks on people’s property like this is completely unacceptable.
“I have been raising these issues with NHS Lothian bosses for years, they have their heads in the sand.
“They cannot ignore this any longer or someone is going to get hurt.
“We must find an urgent solution to the parking chaos at St John’s hospital.
“It is completely unacceptable that NHS staff and their vehicles are being targeted in this way through no fault of their own.
“I have offered proposals to NHS Lothian, including a multi-storey car park, that will bring an end to this shambles.
“I will work with NHS Lothian as well as staff, patients and local residents to make sure that a workable solution can be developed.”
MSP Anglea Constance said: “Vandalism of any sort should be condemned but it is particularly galling to think that the vehicles belonging to hard working NHS staff are being targeted.
“NHS Lothian need to the police warned: “Bathgate community team are aware of the parking issues in the town centre area and aim to continue to address this over the coming months
“This will not be resolved simply by police enforcement. Education and working with our partners is essential to make Bathgate a safer place for all road users.” give full consideration to the transport needs of their staff particularly those who are working out of hours”.
MSP Miles Briggs said: “Employee safety has to be a top priority for NHS Lothian and that includes having adequate parking, so that nurses don’t have to walk to their cars in the dark, after a long shift.
“I have written to Jeane Freeman to emphasise the urgency for additional parking space at St John’s hospital. This is not the first I have raised concerns with Jeane Freeman about parking and staff concerns and it is crucial that action is taken.”
Last year in a letter to MSP Miles Briggs the Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “At St John’s, 66 per cent of spaces are available to staff.
“Plans a re b e i n g developed to locate a shortstay elective treatment centre at St John’s Hospital and this will include re-provision of existing spaces, which would otherwise be lost due to an expanded footprint, plus a number of addition spaces.”